By the Fireside
by Misu Niiroke
Summary: When they're by the fireside together, Inuyasha begins to realize just why he fights so often with Kagome. A tad fluffy, but cute nonetheless. Enjoy!


_By the Fireside_

"Inuyasha…?"

"What?"

Kagome was sitting close to the fire, her chin resting on her knees as she pulled her legs to her chest. Her eyelids were halfway closed, and she looked ready to fall asleep. Inuyasha sat on the opposite side of the fire, his arms folded inside of his red sleeves. He tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to speak again.

Kagome smiled as she looked into the glowing fire. "How long have you known me Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice drawling with sleepiness.

Inuyasha snorted, choosing to look away from her as he answered, "What kind of question is that?"

Kagome shook her head slightly, her smile growing wider. She closed her eyes, and her dreamy voice answered,

"Haven't we been through so much?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he looked back across the fire. Her eyes were still closed, but he could tell from her scent that she wasn't asleep. She was waiting for him to say something. Why was she asking him all this?

"Yeah...I mean, I've fought more demons than I can count." he replied finally, truly realizing that he **couldn't** count how many he'd killed.

Which was the first one? Had it been Lady Centipede? It all seemed so far away, almost like another life. His eyes grew distant as he thought back to those times, when he and Kagome first began the jewel shard hunt. They'd started out, just of the two of them. It'd been quite a rocky start.

"I remember how you tried to kill me, ya know." Kagome commented, laughing slightly as she did. At first, Inuyasha thought she was trying to make him feel guilty, but he knew she was just reminiscing. He frowned slightly as he began to remember another moment from their first meeting.

"I also remember how you "sat" me when I was way up in a cliff!" He feigned anger, making Kagome open her eyes in surprise.

"Well that was only because you were peeping in on me!" She retorted, a frustrated pout on her face.

"Keh!" he exclaimed, turning up his nose, "Like I would ever want to peep on you. I'm not a pervert like that lecher Miroku." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the monk's sleeping form.

He expected her to deny this, but Kagome's anger quickly dissipated. She smiled happily at him from across the fire, the glow from it creating a bright aura around her face. Inuyasha gulped inwardly. Why was it so easy to fight with her? Why was it that when she acted nice and friendly he grew uncomfortable and frustrated?

He spoke his frustration. "Why are you so happy?"

Kagome grinned wider, turning her brown orbs toward the burning logs. "When we fought in the beginning, it always made me so angry. I thought for certain I could never get along with you. You just…you made me so **mad**."

The fire crackled a little, creating a pause. Inuyasha was looking at her, trying to decide whether she was trying to make him feel bad or if she was making a point. He decided to remain silent and let her continue.

"But," she went on, "after a while, it didn't bother me so much. In fact, I started to enjoy the moments when we would fight. It was kind of…I don't know, comfortable. Like when we fought, we only did it because we didn't know what to say."

By now, she was gazing at him once more, a kind of irony on her face. Inuyasha took in her words, and with a sudden thought, he knew she was right.

Every time they fought, he was only covering up his true feelings. When Kagome began to say nice things and compliment him, he wouldn't know how to reply. So he would call her "wench" and yell at her. Some how, this was easier than telling her that she looked beautiful in the moonlight, or that he cared when she left to go home. When he argued instead of complimented, he felt, like Kagome had said, comfortable.

"Kagome, I…" he began, but Kagome was already standing up, stretching her arms high over her head.

"Don't the stars look so clear tonight?" she exclaimed, her face turned upward toward the sky. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed into the heavens. Inuyasha looked her, feeling his cheeks flare up as he did so. How was it that she could make him feel so uncomfortable and so right, all at the same time?

"Just go to bed already!"he told her. "I'm tired of listening to you yap!" he barked, a set frown on his face.

Kagome's expression never changed as she lowered her gaze onto his own golden one. Their eyes met, and he saw the depth of understanding and love in her eyes.

"Good night, Inuyasha." she whispered across the space, a tiny grin gracing her features.

He only grumbled in reply.

Inuyasha watched as she went to her sleeping mat and snuggled inside of it. After she was securely inside, and he was sure that she'd fallen asleep, he walked over to her side and bent close to her sleeping form.

Bringing his mouthnext to her ear, he whispered, "Good night, wench."

And as he stared at her calm expression, he watched the edges of a smile form on her lips. He felt sure that she'd heard him. And she knew just what he meant. Deep down, he believed that she always knew what he truly meant when he yelled at her. She could read his manner with ease, understanding when he was angry or sad. And she knew that when he said, "wench" he wasn't really saying that.

No, he wasn't saying that at all. What it meant was something deeper, something more. So, so much more.

AN: Don't you ever wonder why they do fight so much? I think I was trying to show that when they fight with each other, it's only because they're too embarrassed to show how they feel for each other. But we know they love each other. He he! Read and Review! Thanks! &Niiroke&


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